Two men have been exposed to mosquito-borne viruses in Middlesex County, boosting human exposures to West Nile virus to seven cases and to eastern equine encephalitis to three, state health officials announced Thursday.
Both men are in their 70s. The West Nile virus exposure occurred in southern Middlesex County, an area already at high risk for the disease. The EEE exposure happened in the central part of the county, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Acton public health officials Thursday night confirmed that the man with EEE is a town resident. Mosquito spraying will begin each Wednesday on some streets until Sept. 25. An emergency meeting of the Board of Health is scheduled for Monday, according to a statement.
Human exposures to West Nile virus so far this year have now surpassed last year’s total of six cases, according to state public health officials.
The announcement of “additional cases makes it clear that mosquito season is not over,” Robbie Goldstein, public health commissioner, said in a statement. “It is essential that residents continue to use mosquito repellent with an EPA-registered active ingredient every time they are outdoors.”
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Officials strongly recommend that residents of areas at the highest risk of EEE reschedule outdoor activities set for the evening, when mosquitoes are most active.
Risk levels for West Nile virus are being raised to high in Stoneham and Wakefield in Middlesex County, officials said.
Risk levels for EEE are being elevated to high in Acton, Ayer, Boxborough, Carlisle, and Littleton in Middlesex County, and in Harvard in Worcester County.
EEE risk levels are being raised to moderate in Bedford, Billerica, Chelmsford, Concord, Framingham, Groton, Lincoln, Shirley, Stow, Tyngsborough, Wayland, and Westford in Middlesex County, and Berlin, Bolton, Clinton, and Lancaster in Worcester County.
So far this year, there have been 88 EEE-positive mosquito samples in the state. The most activity has been focused in Plymouth and Worcester counties, but infected mosquitoes have also been detected in Bristol, Essex, and Middlesex counties.
The last outbreak of EEE occurred in 2019-2020 and resulted in 17 human cases with seven deaths, officials said.
There have been 299 West Nile-positive mosquito samples so far this year detected in Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester counties.
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There were six human cases of West Nile virus last year and no animal cases in the state. This year, no animal cases have been detected.
“Mosquito behavior starts to change in September,” state epidemiologist Catherine Brown said in the statement. “They will be less active during cooler temperatures. However, during periods of warmer weather, such as are being forecast for the end of next week, mosquitoes will be out and looking for their next meal.”
Tonya Alanez can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @talanez.